Dawn's Down Home In Denver Blog

The Denver Real Estate Market Is HOT HOT HOT

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 22:38:24 -0700

~ The Denver Real Estate Market Is HOT HOT HOT! ~

The real estate market in the Denver Metro area is no longer a Buyer's market. It is a seller's market and it's HOT, HOT HOT!!! What is making the market so hot? It's a combination of things.

The reason we are in a Seller's market is due to our low inventory. Currently we have 6,682 active properties on the market in the Denver Metro area. That is down just over 35% from March 2012. The average days on market is 67 days, which is down almost 35% from last year. But don't let those 67 days fool you. If we were to remove all of the short sales from the equation, that number would drop substantually. On a short sale, once a Seller accepts a Buyer's offer, the contract is contingent upon the lien holder approving the sale and accepting less than the Seller owes to the mortgage company. In Denver, the property is placed in a Pending status until the short sale is approved. This approval process can take months. Because of this, the number of days on the market for short sale properties can become quite high, thus skewing the days on market statistic.

There are 5,976 properties under contract, which tells us we really only have one month worth of inventory. This is causing all kinds of bidding wars. No longer are the days where sellers are praying that someone would buy their house. Buyers can no longer call the shots. We are in a hard and true sellers market and unless our inventory increases, we will be stuck for quite some time.

Another reason why the Denver Real Estate Market is so hot is because the interest rates have remained low. The housing market has actually been affordable. Why pay the high rents, and have no tax advantage? Home ownershipis the only way to go

The Denver Real Estate Market is Hot, Hot, Hot!!! So, if you are thinking of selling your home and need some professional advice, give me a call and put my 20 years of full time experience to work for you.

Keller Williams Real Estate, LLC

Broker Associate, CNE, CRS, GRI, SFR

Servicing buyers and sellers in the Denver metro area since 1993

Three easy ways to contact me:

email me directly Dawn@downhomeindenver.com

visit my website to search for homes or find the value of what your home is currently worth visit: www.DownHomeInDenver.com

call or text me directly on my cell: 303-332-8025

The choice is yours. Let my expertise work for you! Servicing the Denver Metro area/ Aurora, Centennial, Denver, Englewood, Greenwood Village, Littleton, Lone Tree and Parker

*** Voted one of Denver's 2011 & 2012 "FIVE STAR REAL ESTATE AGENTS" by an independent survey of recent homebuyers to find the best in client satisfaction.***

I Am Proud to Be an AR Member - The Power of Social Media Can Get Things Done

Sat, 09 Feb 2013 17:18:15 -0800

I Am Proud to Be an AR Member - Social Media Can Get Things Done

I am so proud to be a member of Active Rain. One of our members , Gail Robertson of Fairfield, Ct., posted yesterday, February 8th, that she needed our help. Her post, entitled, Today I was Told by BOA My Home is Going Into Foreclosure and she needed our help. Gail asked for our help. She requested that we re-blog the story of her plight. Her post was featured.

I don't know how many re-blogs and posts to google+, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc. that she received. I know I did my part as did so many other AR members. I know when I read her post, there were hundreds before me who had responded to Gail's request. What I read in her post was unacceptable and shameful actions by BofA.

As of earlier today, Gail gave us an update:

"6 PM 2/9/13 UPDATE: Two Social Media managers from BOA contacted me today and my case will be sent to their Escalation Team. I will know more on Monday and will post an update in a new post. Thank you all for taking the time and effort to reblog, Tweet, share on FB, post on Google+, and for your comments/calls/e-mails. AR may not be a face-to-face group, but we are a community in the true sense of the word - a group of people who care for one another and help each other in their time of need. Thank you my AR family from the bottom of my heart."

This prooves that the power of Social Media, when we band together, can make things happen. There is no guarantee in Gail's outcome, but WE were able to get the attention of Bank of America. The comments and suggestions Gail received were so supportive. So many wonderful members stepped up to the plate. In reading through all the comments, the combined knowledge that this membership has is truly remarkable!

I pray that Gail can spend time with her ailing husband, who is in hospice care at their home, and not have to deal with Bank of America. Bank of America needs to step up and do the only right thing, correct their mistake. We here on AR, have put some pressure on BofA. Let's hope and pray, for once, they do what they should have done when Gail first started requesting a loan modification.

As I said before, I am proud to be an ActiveRain member. The power of Social Media can get things done.

Keller Williams Real Estate, LLC

Broker Associate, CNE, CRS, GRI, SFR

Servicing buyers and sellers in the Denver metro area since 1993

Three easy ways to contact me:

email me directly Dawn@downhomeindenver.com

visit my website to search for homes or find the value of what your home is currently worth visit: www.DownHomeInDenver.com

call or text me directly on my cell: 303-332-8025

The choice is yours. Let my expertise work for you! Servicing the Denver Metro area/ Aurora, Centennial, Denver, Englewood, Greenwood Village, Littleton, Lone Tree and Parker

*** Voted one of Denver's 2011 & 2012 "FIVE STAR REAL ESTATE AGENTS" by an independent survey of recent homebuyers to find the best in client satisfaction.***

Today I Was Told by BOA My Home is Going into Foreclosure

Fri, 08 Feb 2013 20:58:26 -0800

I think BOA shold be ashamed of themselves!!!! And embarrassed...especially the person responsible for turning down Gail's loan modification. I can guarantee that I won't use BOA for anything.

Gail and her husband need our support. We need to all reblog the heck out of this.

Via Gail Robinson, REALTOR, e-PRO Fairfield County, CT (William Raveis Real Estate, Southport, CT):

After three years of filling out loan modification paperwork and sending it in, I was informed via a phone call today from Bank of America that my loan modification was declined on 2/1/13 as I didn't submit all the documents. Bank of America continues to state this as a reason for declining my loan modifications, but I give them everything they ask for and then have my HUD counselor review it for completeness. Anyone who knows me knows how organized and detail-oriented I am. I have a Ph.D. from Columbia University and that required an incredible attention to detail. I know I submitted all the documents required as I carefully reviewed every request and my HUD counselor, Michael Haynes, of the Neighborhood Housing Services of New Haven reviewed them.

This seems to me to be a bogus excuse. I think they just don't want to do a loan modification. Although why BOA would want one more foreclosure in Bridgeport, Connecticut is beyond me. They aren't going to sell the home for more money than I would pay for it. I bought this home at the peak of the market in 2005 and paid $400,000. It is now worth no more than $250,000. I'm earning a good income now, my income tanked when my husband became ill with pancreatic cancer three years ago and our expenses have been high due to the cost of medications, travel, and treatment. We also lost his income when he became ill. We were both in real estate and the market downturn left us with less money at a time when we needed more.

As you know, my husband has Stage IV Pancreatic Cancer and he is getting hospice care in our home. I haven't told him yet that our home is going into foreclosure. BOA says to consider a Deed in Lieu of Foreclosure or a short sale and just leave, but my husband wants to spend his final days in his own home. Is that too much to ask of a big heartless organization? Probably. But don't you wonder where all that Mortgage Settlement money went to? Weren't the lenders supposed to be doing more loan modifications instead of allowing homes to go into foreclosure? What the heck are they doing with that money anyways???

It makes no sense at all to me, but my hope is that if you would reblog this post that BOA will notice it on social media, reconsider their decision to foreclose, so that I don't have to tell my husband that our home is going into foreclosure. He's been going through a tough time over the past few weeks and my fear is this will cause him enough stress to push him over the edge emotionally and physically.

I trust in the power of AR to get the word out and in your love and kindness to support me at this time as I try to be strong for my husband. Thank you.

Keller Williams Real Estate, LLC

Broker Associate, CNE, CRS, GRI, SFR

Servicing buyers and sellers in the Denver metro area since 1993

Three easy ways to contact me:

email me directly Dawn@downhomeindenver.com

visit my website to search for homes or find the value of what your home is currently worth visit: www.DownHomeInDenver.com

call or text me directly on my cell: 303-332-8025

The choice is yours. Let my expertise work for you! Servicing the Denver Metro area/ Aurora, Centennial, Denver, Englewood, Greenwood Village, Littleton, Lone Tree and Parker

*** Voted one of Denver's 2011 & 2012 "FIVE STAR REAL ESTATE AGENTS" by an independent survey of recent homebuyers to find the best in client satisfaction.***

I Listed a Hot One....Almost

Sun, 03 Feb 2013 13:26:58 -0800

~ I Listed a Hot One....Almost! ~

Awhile back, I went on a listing appointment. The seller had contacted me two days prior to list her house. It had previously been listed by an agent that failed to abide by the listing contract in more ways than one. She had the property listed for over four months (count them, FOUR months before she even put it in the multiple listing service....and lied to the seller about it!) She never took any photos of the property. And she would send potential buyers to the house for the Seller to show it, rather than take the time to meet the buyer and show the house to them herself. (It's this kind of agent that really gives the rest of us a bad reputation). Thankfully, listing had expired and now she was in need of a true professional to represent her and market the property properly.

As soon as we meet, I knew we would get along. The house was an estate sale. The Seller/Personal Representative was the daughter and had lived in the home as a child. The home had been in the family for 50 years, and I felt like I was turning back the clock to the 1960's when the Seller gave me a tour of the home. It was a large ranch style home with over 2600 sq ft, and an attached 2 car garage, but no basement. The master bedroom with a private bathroom and two additional bedrooms and another full bathroom were located on one side of the front of the house. There was an additional 4th bedroom and a third full bathroom at the back of the home that was used as an office. Everything was original; the woodwork on the walls in the living and family rooms, wood floors underneath the carpeting, the chandeliers, the blue, green & pink tiles in the bathrooms and the cabinetry and bright yellow counter tops in the kitchen. The house was full of character in a desired area of town. In it's day, this home was complete elegance, It was surrounded by homes of the same age but had been fully updated and sold for top dollar. I was fairly sure that it would only be a matter of time before the right buyer came along and was ready to sink some money into the house and bring it back to its glory.

We sat down and went through all the listing paperwork. She signed the contract, addendum's and disclosures. After the Seller had such a bad experience with her first agent, I wanted to make sure she was comfortable with everything, So, we walked through the house a second time and I had her point out things to me that she thought I should might want to highlight in the marketing. I took a few photos for marketing purposes to get things started. We were just finishing up as we were leaving the back bedroom/office when we both smelled a strong odor of natural gas by the laundry area that I was fairly sure I hadn't smelled the first time through the house.. Not wanting to have any future problems with the property, the Seller decided to call the fire department and take no chances.

We were outside the house when the Denver Fire Department showed up with blaring sirens. The firemen went through the house with gas detectors and found a gas leak. They had to shut the gas off to the house until it was repaired. The Seller immediately called an HVAC company to repair the problem! The leak, as it turned out, was significant and could have caused a fire had it not been repaired.

The house did turn out to be a hot one, as far as showings were concerned, and not as far as the fire department was concerned! I received 3 offers on the property. The Seller was able to choose the best offer. The Seller feels comfortable knowing that the house is safe for thee new buyers. We are scheduled to close later this month.

Keller Williams Real Estate, LLC

Broker Associate, CNE, CRS, GRI, SFR

Servicing buyers and sellers in the Denver metro area since 1993

Three easy ways to contact me:

email me directly Dawn@downhomeindenver.com

visit my website to search for homes or find the value of what your home is currently worth visit: www.DownHomeInDenver.com

call or text me directly on my cell: 303-332-8025

The choice is yours. Let my expertise work for you! Servicing the Denver Metro area/ Aurora, Centennial, Denver, Englewood, Greenwood Village, Littleton, Lone Tree and Parker

*** Voted one of Denver's 2011 & 2012 "FIVE STAR REAL ESTATE AGENTS" by an independent survey of recent homebuyers to find the best in client satisfaction.***

What's In A Name?

Sun, 16 Dec 2012 21:51:28 -0800

What's In A Name?

Have you ever thought about what is in a name? Nowadays there are some pretty crazy names out in the world. Names I've never heard of. Names that were completely made up from out of no where, letters just thrown together, or a name that I know, but is spelled some absolutely crazy way. What about the names of inanimate objects that are given to babies? Do parents ever wonder how this affects these kids as they grow older and become adults and are out in the working world?

The reason I have these questions going through my brain is because I have received two real estate referrals because of my name. The first referral came back in 2008. The agent choose me because we shared the same first name, "Dawn". Now, for those that receive an unusual name, the chance of this happening would be slim. I never thought about ever receiving a referral just because of my name, but it happened and I got a paycheck!

Well. now it has happened a second time. This time the buyer found me. He searched through some Keller Williams Company web sites and viewed agent profiles and names. He contacted me and we are meeting on Tuesday. He and his wife immigrated from Poland some 20 years ago and had been living in Florida. They recently decided to move to the Denver area and purchase a home. And you are wondering why he chose me? My last name and I are Polish! My grandfather was born and raised in Posen, Poland. The Fabiszak family had a big farm in Posen. My grandfather, Kashmir, and his brothers all eventually immigrated to America because of the war. My Dad's mother is also Polish. Unfortunately I never met my Dad's parents. They passed away before he even got married. Dad was the youngest of eight kids, That makes me third generation here in the states on his side.

So, does this make you wonder what's in a name??

Keller Williams Real Estate, LLC

Broker Associate, CNE, CRS, GRI, SFR

Servicing buyers and sellers in the Denver metro area since 1993

Three easy ways to contact me:

email me directly Dawn@downhomeindenver.com

visit my website to search for homes or find the value of what your home is currently worth visit: www.DownHomeInDenver.com

call or text me directly on my cell: 303-332-8025

The choice is yours. Let my expertise work for you! Servicing the Denver Metro area/ Aurora, Centennial, Denver, Englewood, Greenwood Village, Littleton, Lone Tree and Parker

*** Voted one of Denver's 2011 & 2012 "FIVE STAR REAL ESTATE AGENTS" by an independent survey of recent homebuyers to find the best in client satisfaction.***

9th Annual Nutcracker of Parker

Thu, 29 Nov 2012 21:46:01 -0800

~ Don't Miss the 9th Annual Nutcracker of Parker ~

For the last 8 years the Colorado School of Dance has been performing the Nutcracker of Parker. And this year wan't be any different. The cast was selected and has been rehearsing since August. Tickets have been on sale and there may still be a few available. Click Here to purchase your tickets today!

There are six performances at the PACE Center (Parker Arts Culture & Events Center) located on Mainstreet in Parker, Colorado. Enjoy a delightful afternoon performance or catch an evening one.
Show 1 - December 13th - 7pm
Show 2 - December 14th - 7pm
Show 3 - December 15th - 2pm
Show 4 - December 15th - 7pm
Show 5 - December 16th - 2pm
Show 6 - December 16th - 7pm

For information and to view the actual cast members for the different performances, you can Click here to view this year's cast! The young dancers will leave you dreaming of sugarplums fairies dancing in your head. The Nutcracker of Parker is a fantastic way to enjoy the holidays, make it part of your holiday plans.

Keller Williams Real Estate, LLC

Broker Associate, CNE, CRS, GRI, SFR

Servicing buyers and sellers in the Denver metro area since 1993

Three easy ways to contact me:

email me directly Dawn@downhomeindenver.com

visit my website to search for homes or find the value of what your home is currently worth visit: www.DownHomeInDenver.com

call or text me directly on my cell: 303-332-8025

The choice is yours. Let my expertise work for you! Servicing the Denver Metro area/ Aurora, Centennial, Denver, Englewood, Greenwood Village, Littleton, Lone Tree and Parker

*** Voted one of Denver's 2011 & 2012 "FIVE STAR REAL ESTATE AGENTS" by an independent survey of recent homebuyers to find the best in client satisfaction.***

10 Energy Tips to Staying Warm

Sun, 25 Nov 2012 20:44:22 -0800

~ 10 Energy Tips to Staying Warm ~

~ It's that time of year when the weather has changed and the chill goes through your bones. And it seems like there has been a constant rise in energy prices. Many of us are facing financial difficulties, but we still have to keep ourselves warm. Here are a few things you can do around your house to better insulate your home and keep the heat from escaping.

1 - check the seal around all the windows. If you can see daylight, your heat will also be able to escape through those gaps. Re-caulk around these cracks to keep the cold air out and the warm heat in.

2 - check the weather striping around all your exterior doors and replace those that worn or not doing the job they are supposed to be doing.

3 - keep the damper closed when the fireplace is not being used.

4 - switch to a programmable thermostat. You will be able to lower your heat usage when you are not home and have it automatically turn on just before you arrive home. Why heat a house when you are not home?

5 - make sure your crawl space hatches are properly weather-proofed with the correct weather striping.

6 - unplug unused appliances. They may not use much electricity, but it can add up over a period of time.

7 - replace your furnace filter. Your furnace won't have to work as hard if you have a clean filter.

8 - only run the dishwasher with a full load.

9 - check to make sure you have the proper amount of insulation in your attic

10 - keep the blinds and drapes open on south and west facing windows to allow the natural sunlight in.

Keller Williams Real Estate, LLC

Broker Associate, CNE, CRS, GRI, SFR

Servicing buyers and sellers in the Denver metro area since 1993

Three easy ways to contact me:

email me directly Dawn@downhomeindenver.com

visit my website to search for homes or find the value of what your home is currently worth visit: www.DownHomeInDenver.com

call or text me directly on my cell: 303-332-8025

The choice is yours. Let my expertise work for you! Servicing the Denver Metro area/ Aurora, Centennial, Denver, Englewood, Greenwood Village, Littleton, Lone Tree and Parker

*** Voted one of Denver's 2011 & 2012 "FIVE STAR REAL ESTATE AGENTS" by an independent survey of recent homebuyers to find the best in client satisfaction.***

Do You Preview Properties For Your Clients?

Sat, 24 Nov 2012 23:36:46 -0800

Do You Preview Properties For Your Clients?

Do you preview properties for your clients? Is there any benefit to doing this? In our current market conditions in the Denver metro area, the real estate inventory is low and well priced houses in good condition don't stay on the market long. In this instance trying to preview, could be dangerous. By the time I get my clients back out to the property, it might be gone already However, I think the benefits outweigh the negatives. I am not wasting my client's time showing them something they don't want.

I find that previewing properties is very beneficial when my client has specific needs or parameters they are looking for. Rather than drag them from property to property that doesn't meet their needs, by previewing, I can eliminate thezs properties. Now I am only showing them houses that they will eventually consider writing offers on., basically cutting to the chase.

But no, I don't always preview. Even the buyers with specific needs will be shown properties a first time so I can understand what it is they are looking for. I need to understand what it is they are really wanting., before I can make previewing houses beneficial. After all, how can I preview a house if I don't understand what it is they are looking for and why certain rooms or elements are important to their way of life?

Keller Williams Real Estate, LLC

Broker Associate, CNE, CRS, GRI, SFR

Servicing buyers and sellers in the Denver metro area since 1993

Three easy ways to contact me:

email me directly Dawn@downhomeindenver.com

visit my website to search for homes or find the value of what your home is currently worth visit: www.DownHomeInDenver.com

call or text me directly on my cell: 303-332-8025

The choice is yours. Let my expertise work for you! Servicing the Denver Metro area/ Aurora, Centennial, Denver, Englewood, Greenwood Village, Littleton, Lone Tree and Parker

*** Voted one of Denver's 2011 & 2012 "FIVE STAR REAL ESTATE AGENTS" by an independent survey of recent homebuyers to find the best in client satisfaction.***

Are you a BLACK FRIDAY Shopper?

Thu, 22 Nov 2012 15:12:15 -0800

~ Are You a BLACK FRIDAY Shopper? ~

The experts say that the Friday after Thanksgiving is the busiest shopping day of the year. This day is known as Black Friday. The stores are all competing to get your business. To do this, they offer ""door busters" to get you in their door. "Door busters" are big ticket items at drastically reduced prices. Of course, the stores limit their supply of these making sure the shoppers arrive when the stores open in the middle of the night. On top of the door busters, the stores also have lots of other sales going on.

My sister is a huge Black Friday shopper and has been for 15 or so years. She goes through the ads several times. She has her Christmas list and cross checks the ads with her list. Then she would map out her route based on store locations and when the stores opened. When I say she is a serious Black Friday Shopper, I mean it! Two years ago she refused to go to her in-laws house (who lived 6 hours away) for Thanksgiving because there was no where to shop there and she had already done all her reseach for the stores near her house! And if you plan on going with her, you'd better not dilly-dally. She is on a mission.

What has changed Black Friday in the last several years is the Internet. Many people have opted to forego the crowds and malls and shop from the comfort of their couch and order their Christmas gifts online. Either way, the countdown to the holiday season has started.

For a great web site for Black Friday Ads with links to most of the big stores and their sales. Happy Shopping!

Keller Williams Real Estate, LLC

Broker Associate, CNE, CRS, GRI, SFR

Servicing buyers and sellers in the Denver metro area since 1993

Three easy ways to contact me:

email me directly Dawn@downhomeindenver.com

visit my website to search for homes or find the value of what your home is currently worth visit: www.DownHomeInDenver.com

call or text me directly on my cell: 303-332-8025

The choice is yours. Let my expertise work for you! Servicing the Denver Metro area/ Aurora, Centennial, Denver, Englewood, Greenwood Village, Littleton, Lone Tree and Parker

*** Voted one of Denver's 2011 & 2012 "FIVE STAR REAL ESTATE AGENTS" by an independent survey of recent homebuyers to find the best in client satisfaction.***

Do You Ask For Recommendations From Your Clients ?

Sat, 17 Nov 2012 22:30:10 -0800

~ Do You Ask For Recommendations From Your Clients? ~

When you have built a good rapport with a client, I feel it is extremely important to get that coveted recommendation from them. But how do you ask for it? And when do you ask for it? Sometimes it can feel awkward. Other times it feels too pushy. Either way, it is important to do so. Let them know ahead of time to expect something in the mail and how important it is to you and that you would appreaciate it.

Whether you have your own web site, or you use FaceBook, Zillow, Linkedin, Google +, or Trulia, (just to just mention a few), having client recommendations on these sites makes you more credible. Different ways I have found valuable to get the recommendations are:

* at the closing table ask them to fill out a questionaire or to write a recomendation

* after the closing, send them a questionare to be filled out and include stamped self-addressed envelope for them to return it

* ask your broker to send out a questionaire to the client on your behalf.

* have the title company give the buyers/sellers the questionaire and the title cimpany can mail it back to the broker

* you may even go as far as doing a video after closing

You can never have too many recommendations. A recommendation is a stamp of approval.

Keller Williams Real Estate, LLC

Broker Associate, CNE, CRS, GRI, SFR

Servicing buyers and sellers in the Denver metro area since 1993

Three easy ways to contact me:

email me directly Dawn@downhomeindenver.com

visit my website to search for homes or find the value of what your home is currently worth visit: www.DownHomeInDenver.com

call or text me directly on my cell: 303-332-8025

The choice is yours. Let my expertise work for you! Servicing the Denver Metro area/ Aurora, Centennial, Denver, Englewood, Greenwood Village, Littleton, Lone Tree and Parker

*** Voted one of Denver's 2011 & 2012 "FIVE STAR REAL ESTATE AGENTS" by an independent survey of recent homebuyers to find the best in client satisfaction.***

Pop Top Tabs

Fri, 16 Nov 2012 21:28:37 -0800

~ Pop Top Tabs ~

In March of 2011 I wrote a post Pay It Forward - Pop Tob Tabs about saving pop top tabs for Ronald McDonald House. That post inspired Donna Foerster to write not just one post; Pay It Forward:Pop Top Tabs II , but a second post Pay It Forward,:Pop Top Tabs iii as well.

Collecting pop top tabs is something that I have been doing for quite some time. It's something that I do without even thinking about it. It's second nature to me. I have agents that save them at home and bring them to me when they see me. I have inspired others to start saving them also.

I am still saving them years later. Some of my neighbors are saving them for me also. As I stated in my first post, I have a bowl at my office for them. Agents at my office also save them at their homes and bring them into the office for me. Now, the Aurora Association of Realtors has gotten on board and has a jar for people to put them in during association events.

The reason for this post is today is I received a call from a gentleman. He lives in New Jersey. He met some lady at an office building. Somehow in conversation she found out that he collects pop top tabs, she knew about me and my collecting the tabs. Apparently she had my number and she told him to give me a call because I also collected them. When he called, I explained to him what and why I collected them for. He told me he has been collecting them for years and he had about 8 or so gallon jugs full of the tabs.

I live in Denver! Somehow my voice was heard. My joy of collecting the pop top tabs for charity and the gift it brings to others made its way across the country to New Jersey! It doesn't cost any money, but it sure can make a huge difference in the lives of others. If you don't have a Ronald McDonald House near you, that shouldn't stop you. Save the whole can! Recycle them. Then take the money you receive from recycling, write a check for that amount and mail it to a Ronald McDonald House Charity!

So the next time you see a can laying around, pick it up and save the pop top tab! It could make a difference on a child's life.

Keller Williams Real Estate, LLC

Broker Associate, CNE, CRS, GRI, SFR

Servicing buyers and sellers in the Denver metro area since 1993

Three easy ways to contact me:

email me directly Dawn@downhomeindenver.com

visit my website to search for homes or find the value of what your home is currently worth visit: www.DownHomeInDenver.com

call or text me directly on my cell: 303-332-8025

The choice is yours. Let my expertise work for you! Servicing the Denver Metro area/ Aurora, Centennial, Denver, Englewood, Greenwood Village, Littleton, Lone Tree and Parker

*** Voted one of Denver's 2011 & 2012 "FIVE STAR REAL ESTATE AGENTS" by an independent survey of recent homebuyers to find the best in client satisfaction.***

Rangeview High School Craft Fair

Thu, 15 Nov 2012 21:27:11 -0800

~ Rangeview High School Craft Fair ~

This Saturday, November 17,2012 from 9:00 to 4:00, Rangeview High School in Aurora, Colorado on Iliff and Telluride will be holding it's annual craft fair. Looking to do some holiday shopping? This craft fair has everything from baked goods to jewelry to scrap booking to wood working and more. Come on out and see the 150 vendors. There is something for everyone

If you're hungry, the concession stand is run by the junior class as part of their fund raiser. So, make sure you plan on grabbing a bite to eat at the school to help out the junior class.

After all, who doesn't like to go to a craft show?

Keller Williams Real Estate, LLC

Broker Associate, CNE, CRS, GRI, SFR

Servicing buyers and sellers in the Denver metro area since 1993

Three easy ways to contact me:

email me directly Dawn@downhomeindenver.com

visit my website to search for homes or find the value of what your home is currently worth visit: www.DownHomeInDenver.com

call or text me directly on my cell: 303-332-8025

The choice is yours. Let my expertise work for you! Servicing the Denver Metro area/ Aurora, Centennial, Denver, Englewood, Greenwood Village, Littleton, Lone Tree and Parker

*** Voted one of Denver's 2011 & 2012 "FIVE STAR REAL ESTATE AGENTS" by an independent survey of recent homebuyers to find the best in client satisfaction.***

One Year Ago Today I Lost My Best Friend

Mon, 12 Nov 2012 18:02:04 -0800

One Year Ago Today I Lost My Best Friend

One year ago today I lost my best friend. It was the worst day of my life. Words can never describe the pain your heart goes through, the ache, the sorrow, the grief, the loss, the emptiness,.....

When I was compiling these photos, so many memories came flooding through, happy memories. But quickly followed by the pain and loss. Kobi, my Shiba Inu, brought me so much joy and comfort for 12 and a half years. He was my constant, loyal companion, my best friend. I will forever miss my little boy. May he rest in peace.

Keller Williams Real Estate, LLC

Broker Associate, CNE, CRS, GRI, SFR

Servicing buyers and sellers in the Denver metro area since 1993

Three easy ways to contact me:

email me directly Dawn@downhomeindenver.com

visit my website to search for homes or find the value of what your home is currently worth visit: www.DownHomeInDenver.com

call or text me directly on my cell: 303-332-8025

The choice is yours. Let my expertise work for you! Servicing the Denver Metro area/ Aurora, Centennial, Denver, Englewood, Greenwood Village, Littleton, Lone Tree and Parker

*** Voted one of Denver's 2011 & 2012 "FIVE STAR REAL ESTATE AGENTS" by an independent survey of recent homebuyers to find the best in client satisfaction.***

Things I am Thankful For E, F & G

Sun, 11 Nov 2012 22:09:43 -0800

~ Things I Am Thankful For E, F & G ~

November is the month of that we give thanks. By using the alphabet, I am sharing things that I am thankful for. In my first post, I went through the letters A, B, C & D. In this post I am continuing with the letters E, F & G.

E is for electricity. For those of us who may never have lost our electricity for any length of time, we probably take it for granted. Think of all the thing in our daily lives that require electricity that we can't live without. Now think of all the people affected by Hurricane Sandy and how long they have been without electricity. Now, with that in mind, that alone would make you change your thoughts on electricity.

F is for freedom. Americans take freedom for granted. We have had soldiers die for our freedom. I have had the opportunity to travel abroad to several foreign countries and whenever I arrived home, I was very aware of how truly lucky and thankful I was to be an American and to have the freedoms that I do.

G is for great neighbors. I have absolutely wonderful neighbors. I couldn't have hand picked better ones. I know them all by their names. We all talk to one another and look out for one another. We don't just get home, open the garage, drive in and shut the door. We actually communicate with one another. We like each other.

Keller Williams Real Estate, LLC

Broker Associate, CNE, CRS, GRI, SFR

Servicing buyers and sellers in the Denver metro area since 1993

Three easy ways to contact me:

email me directly Dawn@downhomeindenver.com

visit my website to search for homes or find the value of what your home is currently worth visit: www.DownHomeInDenver.com

call or text me directly on my cell: 303-332-8025

The choice is yours. Let my expertise work for you! Servicing the Denver Metro area/ Aurora, Centennial, Denver, Englewood, Greenwood Village, Littleton, Lone Tree and Parker

*** Voted one of Denver's 2011 & 2012 "FIVE STAR REAL ESTATE AGENTS" by an independent survey of recent homebuyers to find the best in client satisfaction.***

Southlands Mall Holiday Happenings

Sat, 10 Nov 2012 22:27:39 -0800

~ Southlands Mall Holiday Happenings ~

Southlands Mall is located in Aurora at the intersection of E-470 and Smoky Hill Road. The holiday seasons are quickly coming upon us and Southlands has several events to help us celebrate.

** November 14th- Stag's Leap Wine Dinner is a 5 course meal prepared by Executive Chef Jason Lee (reservations are required)

** November 16th - Ice skating at the pond opens today! Monday - Friday 4PM - 9PM, Sat 11AM - 10PM and Sun 11AM -7MP

** November 17th - Don't be late for the annual Home Town Parade and the Tree Lighting in the Town Center starting at 6PM.

** November 18th -until Christmas Eve- photos with Santa. Hours vary. Photos with pets (dogs and cats only) are every Wednesday after 4PM only.

** Dec 1st, 8th & 15th - Movies with Santa at 10AM at the AMC Theatre

I have found that Southlands Mall is a great place to shop, meet up with friends and have a bite to eat. There is something for everyone, whether it's shopping at the big box stores, needing craft supplies, pet supplies, clothing for kids, women or men, you can find it here. Do you want to spend the afternoon painting pottery? Love jewelry? Candles? Need a new cell phone? Have to go to the dentist? Got a swet tooth? Southlands Mall has got you covered!

Keller Williams Real Estate, LLC

Broker Associate, CNE, CRS, GRI, SFR

Servicing buyers and sellers in the Denver metro area since 1993

Three easy ways to contact me:

email me directly Dawn@downhomeindenver.com

visit my website to search for homes or find the value of what your home is currently worth visit: www.DownHomeInDenver.com

call or text me directly on my cell: 303-332-8025

The choice is yours. Let my expertise work for you! Servicing the Denver Metro area/ Aurora, Centennial, Denver, Englewood, Greenwood Village, Littleton, Lone Tree and Parker

*** Voted one of Denver's 2011 & 2012 "FIVE STAR REAL ESTATE AGENTS" by an independent survey of recent homebuyers to find the best in client satisfaction.***

Things I am Thankful For A - D

Thu, 08 Nov 2012 21:59:18 -0800

~ Things I am Thankful For A - D ~

November is a month that we give thanks. We share our thanks with those we love. I have read other posts here in the Rain of members giving their thanks and going through the alphabet. I thought that was a terrific idea. And like the wheel, as with any great invention, don't reinvent it. So here goes..

A is for the Autumn colors. Autumn is my favorite season of the year. I especially love the early part of the season when the colors just start to change. When the leaves are bright orange and reds

B is for blogging. Through blogging here on ActiveRain I have met many wonderful people I am honored to now call my friend.

C is for chllenge. They make me a bettter person. I have to think or work outside of my comfort zone.

D is for Denver. I transferred to the Denver area with my old job back in 1991. A year later, I lost that job. But I had fallen in love with this city and decided I was going to stay.

What are you thankful for? Do you know? Have you put any thought in to this?

Keller Williams Real Estate, LLC

Broker Associate, CNE, CRS, GRI, SFR

Servicing buyers and sellers in the Denver metro area since 1993

Three easy ways to contact me:

email me directly Dawn@downhomeindenver.com

visit my website to search for homes or find the value of what your home is currently worth visit: www.DownHomeInDenver.com

call or text me directly on my cell: 303-332-8025

The choice is yours. Let my expertise work for you! Servicing the Denver Metro area/ Aurora, Centennial, Denver, Englewood, Greenwood Village, Littleton, Lone Tree and Parker

*** Voted one of Denver's 2011 & 2012 "FIVE STAR REAL ESTATE AGENTS" by an independent survey of recent homebuyers to find the best in client satisfaction.***

Colorado Now Has Another State Attraction

Wed, 07 Nov 2012 21:59:18 -0800

~ Colorado Now Has Another State Attraction ~

Colorado now has another state attraction as voted on by the residents of Colorado in the 2012 election. Amendment 64 was controversial for many and it is still causing heated conversations among many. It didn't matter if you were a Democrat, Republican or an Independent. The residents of Colorado heard commercials with Senators from both parties on the same commercial in agreement against Amendment 64. And we heard law enforcement officers in favor of Amendment 64.

I'm not sure how close the vote was, but Amentment 64 passed. The Colorado Constitution will now be changed making marijuana legal. We did have medical marijuana, but now there will be no need to have a prescription. That is why I believe this will make it become a state attraction. People will be crossing the boarder or vacationing here to light up a pipe.

Adults over 21 will be allowed to possess up to an ounce of marijuana, and grow up to 6 marijuana plants. The pot would not be able to be smoked in public though. This is going to be interesting for weeks to come, I'm sure.

Keller Williams Real Estate, LLC

Broker Associate, CNE, CRS, GRI, SFR

Servicing buyers and sellers in the Denver metro area since 1993

Three easy ways to contact me:

email me directly Dawn@downhomeindenver.com

visit my website to search for homes or find the value of what your home is currently worth visit: www.DownHomeInDenver.com

call or text me directly on my cell: 303-332-8025

The choice is yours. Let my expertise work for you! Servicing the Denver Metro area/ Aurora, Centennial, Denver, Englewood, Greenwood Village, Littleton, Lone Tree and Parker

*** Voted one of Denver's 2011 & 2012 "FIVE STAR REAL ESTATE AGENTS" by an independent survey of recent homebuyers to find the best in client satisfaction.***

I Was Awoken By An Obnoxious Bird Chirping This Morning

Sun, 04 Nov 2012 17:34:37 -0800

~ I Was Awoken By An Obnoxious Bird Chirping This Morning ~

I Was awoken by an obnoxious bird chirping this morning.... or so I thought. The chirping was terribly obnoxious but it was a bird. Every ten minutes or so I would here this extremely high pitched chirp and it was constant. So when I couldn't take it any more, I got up to find the source that was ruining my sleep. And it figures, today when I could have gotten an extra hour of sleep due to the time change, but nooooo!

It didn't take long to find the culprit. And I should have remembered to do this. It was the battery in my smoke detector. So I pulled out my ladder (for the high ceilings) and spent the morning changing out all the batteries in my smoke detectors. Thank goodness I had exactly the right number of batteries that I needed.

Changing out the smoke dectector batteries is one of those things that should be done

Keller Williams Real Estate, LLC

Broker Associate, CNE, CRS, GRI, SFR

Servicing buyers and sellers in the Denver metro area since 1993

Three easy ways to contact me:

email me directly Dawn@downhomeindenver.com

visit my website to search for homes or find the value of what your home is currently worth visit: www.DownHomeInDenver.com

call or text me directly on my cell: 303-332-8025

The choice is yours. Let my expertise work for you! Servicing the Denver Metro area/ Aurora, Centennial, Denver, Englewood, Greenwood Village, Littleton, Lone Tree and Parker

*** Voted one of Denver's 2011 & 2012 "FIVE STAR REAL ESTATE AGENTS" by an independent survey of recent homebuyers to find the best in client satisfaction.***

7-Eleven Is More Than Just A Place To Get Coffee!

Sat, 03 Nov 2012 20:40:51 -0700

~ 7-Eleven Is More Than Just A Place To Get Coffee! ~

I had buyers (past clients from many years past) that now lived about an hour and a half away. They called me and said they were in town and had driven by a house that had just come on the market and wanted to view it while they were in town. I had been out shopping when I received their call. Unprepared for the way I normally would show houses. I left the store and met them. I showed them the house and they decided that they wanted to put in an offer on this short sale.

Since I hadn't really been prepared to work on my day off, let alone write an offer, I told them to go visit their family in town, while I went home to prepare the offer. Once I had the offer written, we met up. I was trying to make it convenient for them, since it was starting to get late. I had to go through several pages of a contract and short sale agreement and they had an hour and a half drive ahead of them to get home.

Neither my home nor their children's home was on the way to their house. So we met at a 7-Eleven. This way it would give them a start on their drive home once we were done. They grabbed a coffee. And we all grabbed a corner and got down to business. Who would ever have thought that a 7-Eleven was more than just a place to get coffee? Oh, Thank Heaven for 7-Elevens!

The unfortunate thing is, after all the scrambling we did to put the offer together, we were never able to come to an agreement with the bank. Eventually we did find the right house. Actually, an even better house that fit their needs and their personalities much better. We closed on that home. They have moved in and are very happy.

Keller Williams Real Estate, LLC

Broker Associate, CNE, CRS, GRI, SFR

Servicing buyers and sellers in the Denver metro area since 1993

Three easy ways to contact me:

email me directly Dawn@downhomeindenver.com

visit my website to search for homes or find the value of what your home is currently worth visit: www.DownHomeInDenver.com

call or text me directly on my cell: 303-332-8025

The choice is yours. Let my expertise work for you! Servicing the Denver Metro area/ Aurora, Centennial, Denver, Englewood, Greenwood Village, Littleton, Lone Tree and Parker

*** Voted one of Denver's 2011 & 2012 "FIVE STAR REAL ESTATE AGENTS" by an independent survey of recent homebuyers to find the best in client satisfaction.***

Newsflash.............AAR Caught Doing PCP

Fri, 02 Nov 2012 17:02:14 -0700

~Newsflash........... AAR Caught Doing PCP ~

Yes, You heard me correctly. Newsflash.......AAR Caught Doing PCP. What were they thinking??? Don't we have enough problems in this world? Aren't we tired of all the negative campaign ads by now? You can't turn on your TV or radio without hearing bad news or negative things going on in this world. But, this is a just a play on words, or should I say, letters. Your mind probably thought the wrong thing and that was only to catch your attention. That was on purpose. The statement was true, but just not exactly what you were thinking. AAR (the Aurora Association of REALTORS(r) was caught doing PCP but it was a Pumpkin Chukin' Contest to raise money for the local Ronald McDonald House.

Last night the local Aurora REALTOR(s) got together to raise money for charity. Each participant was charged was charged an admittance fee. The event was supposed to have been held last Thursday evening the 25th of October, but had to be postponed due to weather conditions. The turn out wasn't as larges as had hoped, but because of the rescheduling, we knew that we would loose a few participants.

Our affiliate members, Shelly Thoman from Carpet Connection and Jerry Burns from Carpet Corners set up the event. Homemade Chile, Sub sandwiches and beverages were provided. We had a pumpkin tossing contest outside, instead of the traditional pumpkin carving contest and ending the evening with country dance lessons by Patty Clark of Metro Brokers Morningside Homes. I have to say, there were a few "dancers" that needed more than a few dance lessons!

All money raised from the admittance fees will be donated to the Ronald McDonald House located at S Potomac St. in Aurora to help pay for Thanksgiving dinners. Ronald McDonald House in Aurora can house up to 45 families a night. It runs mostly by donations, volunteers and fundraising. And the collecting of the pop top tabs doesn't hurt either!

Keller Williams Real Estate, LLC

Broker Associate, CNE, CRS, GRI, SFR

Servicing buyers and sellers in the Denver metro area since 1993

Three easy ways to contact me:

email me directly Dawn@downhomeindenver.com

visit my website to search for homes or find the value of what your home is currently worth visit: www.DownHomeInDenver.com

call or text me directly on my cell: 303-332-8025

The choice is yours. Let my expertise work for you! Servicing the Denver Metro area/ Aurora, Centennial, Denver, Englewood, Greenwood Village, Littleton, Lone Tree and Parker

*** Voted one of Denver's 2011 & 2012 "FIVE STAR REAL ESTATE AGENTS" by an independent survey of recent homebuyers to find the best in client satisfaction.***

My Crazy, But Hard To Believe It's True Real Estate Story...

Wed, 31 Oct 2012 15:37:14 -0700

~ My Crazy, But Hard To Believe It's True Real Estate Story... ~

My crazy story goes back to the summer of 1993. I was fairly new in real estate. Our company would tour the new office listings every week after our office meeting. As a new agent, I enjoyed tour. It gave me the opportunity to view listings, familiarized myself with neighborhoods and learn pricing. I thought it was an invaluable tool for new agents.

After the meeting, we would pile in cars and go. Each listing would be on a separate sheet where we could write comments for the listing agent. I was a passenger in a with "seasoned" agents. Cathy was driving. I didn't know her very well. Gary was in the front passenger seat. He was this big teddy bear in his late 40's; about 6'2" tall and a fun guy who just loved laughing. Karen & I were in the back. It was up to Gary to direct us from one house to the next.

I was having fun. I got to know these 3 people better. Somehow Gary flipped 2 pages of the tour sheets. By the time we realized what Gary had done, we were half way to the wrong listing. We had to backtrack to get the the correct house. When we caught up to the rest of the group, most of the agents were either in their car or walking towards their car. The house was located on a cul-de-sac. Cathy quickly parked and the four of us walked up to the house.

The last agent that came out was nice enough to leave the door open for us. As customary, we announced ourselves. The owner was home. Apparently she couldn't wait for all the agents to leave. The couch was pushed away from the wall and she vacuuming her baseboards. She popped up from behind the couch.

We apologized for not being with the rest of the tour group and that we had gotten lost. But it wouldn't take us long to view her home and then we would leave. She had a confused look on her face. And then she shook her head and slowly stated, "I'm confused. Ahhh, my house isn't for sale." Oops! We all couldn't get to the door fast enough. We apologized for the confusion and left.

When we got to the car we were all laughing. I don't remember if it was Cathy or Karen, but one of them said, "We were in such a hurry. How did we not see that there wasn't a FOR SALE sign in the yard?!" As we looked at the other houses in the cul-de-sac, we saw the sign....2 houses down!

I don't think I have laughed that hard in awhile. Seriously, how can four people, RELATORs I might add, miss a real estate sign? And then walk into some poor lady's house and scare her when she pops up from behind her couch to see 4 strangers in her living room and wanting to walk around her house? I can still hear Gary's laugh. He had such a deep belly laugh. As we got in the car we laughed even harder. As Gary was getting in the car, he was laughing so hard that he hit his head on the roof of the car. And I think Karen said something about drive fast becasue she was gonna wet her pants!

But my story doesn't end here. Since we were so far behind now, we decided to skip the next house and meet up with the tour on the next house (which was the last house). We arrived, on time. Double checked the address and looked for the yard sign all the while laughing. We weren't there too long before the tour caught up. To play it safe, we let the others from the tour enter the house first. Then we followed suit.

After touring the lovely home, Gary was getting in the car, Karen started laughing and pointing at Gary. I believe it took her several minutes to regain her composure. Finally she said, "Gary, we will need to drop you off at your house first." And then she broke out into laughter again. Cathy and I were laughing too...laughing at Karen laughing. Finally she got the words out, "Didn't you feel a breeze? You ripped the back seem of your pants!"

That was one day I will fondly remember for quite some time.

Keller Williams Real Estate, LLC

Broker Associate, CNE, CRS, GRI, SFR

Servicing buyers and sellers in the Denver metro area since 1993

Three easy ways to contact me:

email me directly Dawn@downhomeindenver.com

visit my website to search for homes or find the value of what your home is currently worth visit: www.DownHomeInDenver.com

call or text me directly on my cell: 303-332-8025

The choice is yours. Let my expertise work for you! Servicing the Denver Metro area/ Aurora, Centennial, Denver, Englewood, Greenwood Village, Littleton, Lone Tree and Parker

*** Voted one of Denver's 2011 & 2012 "FIVE STAR REAL ESTATE AGENTS" by an independent survey of recent homebuyers to find the best in client satisfaction.***

Did Your Horse Win?

Sat, 05 May 2012 21:23:17 -0700

~ Did Your Horse Win? ~

Today was the running of the annual Kentucky Derby. We were invited to the grand re-opining of First City Financial's Kentucky Derby/Cinco de Mayo Party. We celebrated, while watching the Derby, drinking our choice of Mint Julips or Margaritas. They had all kinds of Mexican food for us to feast on. Unfortunately the horse I was hoping to win didn't.

Dave went to an off-track betting place and paid for a bunch of quick pick $.50 trifectas that we handed out to everyone. None of the tickets paid off, but it was fun watching everyone yell for their horse.

There was a hat contest as well. Since I didn't have a hat, I found the next best thing; an empty chip bowl! We forgot to take a photo earlier, so we missed a few of the cute hats.

Keller Williams Real Estate, LLC

Broker Associate, CNE, CRS, GRI, SFR

Servicing buyers and sellers in the Denver metro area since 1993

Three easy ways to contact me:

email me directly Dawn@downhomeindenver.com

visit my website to search for homes or find the value of what your home is currently worth visit: www.DownHomeInDenver.com

call or text me directly on my cell: 303-332-8025

The choice is yours. Let my expertise work for you! Servicing the Denver Metro area/ Aurora, Centennial, Denver, Englewood, Greenwood Village, Littleton, Lone Tree and Parker

*** Voted one of Denver's 2011 & 2012 "FIVE STAR REAL ESTATE AGENTS" by an independent survey of recent homebuyers to find the best in client satisfaction.***

Hey, You, Buyers Agent....Did You Forget To Tell Your Buyer That The Market Has Changed?

Sun, 15 Apr 2012 13:50:12 -0700

~Hey YOU, Buyers Agent.....Did You Forget To Tell Your Buyers That The Market Has Changed? ~

Yes, YOU. YOU are the one I am talking to. Did You forget to tell your Buyers that the market has changed? Haven't YOU realized that the inventory in the Denver Metro area has dropped 42% from the same time last year? Haven't you noticed that there aren't as many houses on the market for your buyers to pick apart and make ridiculously low offers on? Have you communicated any of this to your buyer? Or is it just that YOU haven't noticed the change?

My clients, Mr & Mrs Seller, did receive the the very low offer your buyers wrote. I did present it to them. They were not happy. They wanted to know why it was so low, when the house was priced below the competition and it had more to offer. Not only did it offer an additional 250 finished square feet over the competition AND a finished basement with an additional family room with a fireplace, bedroom and bathroom, but it also doesn't come with 25 year old wallpaper and green shag carpeting. The sellers know that it does not have granite counters in the kitchen, but the home is not priced as though it does.

My clients, the Sellers, were actually being polite by not completely rejecting the buyer's offer, or countering your offer at full price or even higher (like taking the 18% your Buyers took off the list price with their offer and adding it to the list price and countering with that price and see how offended the buyers may feel when the tables are turned.) My clients decided to try and work with your Buyers and offered them a more than reasonable counter without insulting them.

What did your Buyers do? They countered our reasonable counter with another off the wall offer. But my clients held firm and said, "No thank you." Your Buyers thought they knew it all and decided to find a better property. The Sellers knew & understood the market had changed. They knew & understood that the inventory was extremely low. How did they know this? I had informed them of the market condition change. The Sellers just smiled and let the buyers go on their way....because a week later, guess who had to eat crow and ask if our counter offer was still available? Yep. That's right. The Buyers found out that they actually were getting a fantastic deal purchasing this house. There wasn't anything currently available on the market that had the square footage, number of bedrooms & baths and in this condition that could even compete with the list price.

I am just curious why buyers continue to work with agents that do not stay up-to-date on the current real estate conditions and changing market? If you would like to work with an agent that knows and understands the most up-to-date real estate market trends for the Denver metro area, Dawn Fabiszak has been selling real estate full time for 19 years. She can help you buy your dream home or sell your current existing home. Let Dawn's expertise help you decipher how the trends will affect you. Call today....303-332-8025 or go online to www.DownHomeInDenver.com

Keller Williams Real Estate, LLC

Broker Associate, CNE, CRS, GRI, SFR

Servicing buyers and sellers in the Denver metro area since 1993

Three easy ways to contact me:

email me directly Dawn@downhomeindenver.com

visit my website to search for homes or find the value of what your home is currently worth visit: www.DownHomeInDenver.com

call or text me directly on my cell: 303-332-8025

The choice is yours. Let my expertise work for you! Servicing the Denver Metro area/ Aurora, Centennial, Denver, Englewood, Greenwood Village, Littleton, Lone Tree and Parker

*** Voted one of Denver's 2011 & 2012 "FIVE STAR REAL ESTATE AGENTS" by an independent survey of recent homebuyers to find the best in client satisfaction.***

You Wouldn't Call a Part-Time Doctor to Do Your Heart Surgery, Would You??

Mon, 26 Mar 2012 20:25:53 -0700

I am re-blooging an important piece of advice. Gene Mundt, a mortgage lender in Naperville, Illinois wrote about the importance of choosing the right real estate broker; one that will be available throughout the day if need be, committing their time towards your real estate needs, is up to date on the most current real estate trends & education, and will have your best interests at the forefront.

We all know friends, family, neighbors, etc that hold a real estate license, but are they in the business full time and able to give you the service you deserve, with the attention and knowledge you are paying for? I know, you would like to support them and their efforts. But home ownership was, in the past, and will soon be again, a great investment towards retirement. Would you trust them with your retirement?

Read on and see what Gene has to say, and maybe it will make you think twice about letting a part time agent help you with such a big transaction.

Via Gene Mundt Mortgage Lender Chicagoland Mortgage Lending (815.277.4036 www.genemundt.com):

You Wouldn't Call a Part-Time Doctor to Do Your

Heart Surgery, Would You??

    As we often do, my wife and I were having a discussion about work the other day. I had just gotten home and it had been a very trying afternoon.

     A Closing that day had taken much longer than it should have. Also, one of the deals I'm presently working on had developed "hiccups". Nothing that can't be solved, just frustrating.

    The deals of two of my underling lenders had needs and issues to see to as well.   Glitches, and not all that uncommon anymore in the scheme of things. But still, there had been a number of them ... and the time dealing with them had mounted up.

     Upon reflection of all these issues, both my wife and I were struck by a commonality that ran through each of the transactions like a thread. Each of the current transactions suffering issues had at least one real estate person working within it that was not full-time. One transaction had several "part-timers" working on it. And unfortunately, in each instance that had made a difference ... a negative one.

    Earlier that day, I had in fact taken issue with one of my own lenders about missing an important meeting. The meeting ... one held the same time, same place each and every week, are considered mandatory. Yet, they were a no-show. (No valid reason as to why they were not in attendance). And a topic had been covered that would have been of assistance to them on their troubled file.

     One transaction I refer to had an attorney involved within it that rarely handles real estate any longer. Another deal had agents that were at best ... part-time.

     Still another transaction had had a title company involved, that seems to be only dabbling at doing business. They literally had left clients sitting in their offices after a Closing waiting for follow-up documentation, no one from the title company represented within the building.   All had left. Most lights out. Still scratching my head about that one.

     And it all made me wonder how ...

    * In this day and age of quickly-changing regulations, rules, information, needs, underwriting, etc. ...

    * In this day and age of short-sales, REO's, foreclosures, this litigious society, etc. ...

    * In this day and age when transactions are so detailed, nuanced, and possibly even time-restricted ...

    How can anyone presume to conduct business on a client's behalf devoting less than full-time to their profession or business?

    And WHY would any client ... especially in this day and age ... accept this or take the risk of relying on someone that did not devote full-attention and energy to them, the tasks at hand, or their profession? Because that IS what they are doing. Taking a huge risk.

     If this was a medical situation, you certainly wouldn't work with a part-time doctor, would you??

     Real estate transactions typically involve the largest debt any client will ever incur. Certainly home buyers should demand that high standards of professionalism and knowledge be met within their home buying transactions too.

     Here is my opinion regarding this issue ...

     Today's transactions demand great attention to detail and follow-up. Constant communication and vigilance. If you utilize the services of real estate professionals devoting only part-time effort and attention to your transaction, you expose yourself to risk, error, and extra costs. At minimum, you will most likely experience last-minute drama in your transaction ... unneeded, frustrating, and typically avoidable.

    I can't stress the importance of this matter enough ...

    Do yourself a huge favor. Protect yourself and your interests ... by doing your preliminary homework well.

     Seek referrals, check websites. Ask for testimonies, speak to prior clients, verify a professional's successes ... prior to making a final decision regarding who you will work with.

     Don't be afraid to ask the question ... "are you full-time"?? It's important that you know just how much time they are committing to you. It is well-worth it to you to ask these questions and do this preliminary homework. It will save you time, energy, frustration, and possibly even money down the road.

     * Work with a full-time experienced, knowledgeable mortgage lender with 35 years of expertise to put to work on your behalf. Contact me today. I'll be happy to hear from you and have the opportunity to earn your trust and your mortgage business.

     I can be found at any of the following:

Direct: 815.277.4036 Cell/Text: 708.921.6331

Email: gmundt@thefederalsavingsbank.com

Website: www.genemundt.com

Skype: 630.219.1316

Click Here 4 a: NO Cost NO Obligation

Mortgage Consultation





   Gene Mundt, Sr. Vice President

Personal NMLS #216987

The Federal Savings Bank

1823 Centre Point Circle, Naperville, IL 60563



Now on Skype!   630-219-1316

www.genemundt.com

gmundt@thefederalsavingsbank.com

Keller Williams Real Estate, LLC

Broker Associate, CNE, CRS, GRI, SFR

Servicing buyers and sellers in the Denver metro area since 1993

Three easy ways to contact me:

email me directly Dawn@downhomeindenver.com

visit my website to search for homes or find the value of what your home is currently worth visit: www.DownHomeInDenver.com

call or text me directly on my cell: 303-332-8025

The choice is yours. Let my expertise work for you! Servicing the Denver Metro area/ Aurora, Centennial, Denver, Englewood, Greenwood Village, Littleton, Lone Tree and Parker

*** Voted one of Denver's 2011 & 2012 "FIVE STAR REAL ESTATE AGENTS" by an independent survey of recent homebuyers to find the best in client satisfaction.***

The Lender You Choose Matters More Than You Think

Sun, 11 Mar 2012 15:29:27 -0700

~ The Lender You Choose Matters More Than You Think! ~

I have been selling real estate for 19 years. (Sometimes it doesn't seem like it, I mean, I must have started when I was 12!) I help folks buy and sell real estate all over the Denver metro area. Most of my business is either referral or past clients. When you have been in this industry that long, if you do a good job, that is where most of your business should come from, if you know what you are doing and you make people happy with their choices; choices of whom they choose to to represent them,

When I work with a buyer, I have them get prequaled first, making sure we are looking in the right price range. I work with a lender that is fantastic. She is knowledgeable, has killer customer service skills and this is important, the loans are processed and underwritten locally. The listing agent can call and get an update from a real person, without going through some automated phone center. The agent doesn't have to call some 1-800 number and get routed through a crazy help desk and never talk to the same person twice.

I have a short sale property listed for sale. It was on the market for just 3 days when I received 3 offers to present to the sellers. Each agent was notified of the multiple offer situation and to give me their highest and best offer to present to the sellers. All 3 offers were full price or higher. The offers were relatively the same on paper. The same, that is, except for one major difference on one of the offers. That potential buyer had prequaled through a national company that does more than just mortgages. These buyers had called in on a toll free 1-800 number and had gotten pre-qualed by a help desk. The loan package,processing and underwriting would be done in another state. The pre-qualification letter had one paragraph about the buyers qualifications to purchase a home. But the rest of the letter (the remainder of 2/3 of the first page and half of a second page) was advertisement about this company and how great they were. ( I thought a pre-qualification letter from a lender was supposed to be about the buyers qualifications, not an advertisement about their company...I guess nobody told them this!)

The other 2 offers were accompanied by lender letter solely going over the buyers' qualifications. They were also using local lenders. Needless to say, that first offer was quickly rejected. The sellers wanted to know why a lender advertised on a pre-qualification letter, but I didn't have an answer for them. (Do you have an answer I could pass along to them?)

When I called up that agent to tell him that his buyer's offer had not been accepted and the reason why. He stated that the buyer decided to use this national company because they had used them before for other things and they felt comfortable with their previous business dealings. I explained that the sellers wanted to work with a lender that could be contacted for updates on the loan process by dialing one number and getting an answer, not by dialing a toll free number and getting transferred multiple times or pressing 1 for this department and press 2 for that department.

The bottom line is, our market here in Denver is changing quickly. The inventory is lower. I am experiencing multiple offers on many listings. I want my buyers' offer to stand out (for good reasons) and be accepted by the sellers, and for my sellers to feel confident with the offer they accept. The lender that a buyer chooses can make or break a deal...during a transaction by not getting the loan done, or before the offer even gets accepted by the seller because the company isn't local or the pre-qual letter is an advertisement about the company.

Buyers need to do their research. Choose a very qualified lender to do your loan. Choose a lender that is recommended by your agent or by close friends. Don't choose a lender from a phone book or an Internet site. You won't be doing yourself a favor if you do.

If you are a buyer or a seller in the Arapahoe county area and need a good REALTOR(R) to help you make sound real estate decisions, Dawn Fabiszak has the experience you need. Give her a call today at 303-332-8025 or visit her website www.DownHomeInDenver.com. You'll be glad you did.

Keller Williams Real Estate, LLC

Broker Associate, CNE, CRS, GRI, SFR

Servicing buyers and sellers in the Denver metro area since 1993

Three easy ways to contact me:

email me directly Dawn@downhomeindenver.com

visit my website to search for homes or find the value of what your home is currently worth visit: www.DownHomeInDenver.com

call or text me directly on my cell: 303-332-8025

The choice is yours. Let my expertise work for you! Servicing the Denver Metro area/ Aurora, Centennial, Denver, Englewood, Greenwood Village, Littleton, Lone Tree and Parker

*** Voted one of Denver's 2011 & 2012 "FIVE STAR REAL ESTATE AGENTS" by an independent survey of recent homebuyers to find the best in client satisfaction.***